Adjustable exercising bar



July 31, 1 6 B. c. SCHAEFFER ADJUSTABLE EXERCISING BAR Filed May 2, 1960 ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,047,293 Patented July 31, 1962 3,047,293 ADJUSTABLE EXERCISING BAR Bernarr C. Schaefier, Battle Creek, Micln, assignor to Battle Creek Manufacturers, Inc, Battle Creek, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 2, 1960, Ser. No. 26,248 9 Claims. (Cl. 272-62) This invention relates broadly to exercising equipment, and in its specific phases to a new and improved exercising bar to be removably mounted horizontally between the side members of a door frame or the like.

Several forms of exercising bars have been previously proposed but most of them have been rigidly mounted parts of a more comprehensive assembly including swings, rings, et cetera. A few individual exercising bar assemblies have been proposed but almost universally they have not been as stable as desired, or loosened dangerously by turning when firmly gripped under conditions of use. It was a recognition of these difiiculties and shortcomings of the prior exercising bars which led to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel construction which will permit quick and easy extension or retraction of the exercising bar to permit rapid adjustment and use thereof with door frames of various widths.

Another object is to provide novel quick adjusting latch means within the exercising bar for holding same against retraction in length after it has been adjusted for mounting on a selected door frame, said latch means being movable to and from operative positions by rotating the exercising bar to two positions spaced apart 180, respectively.

A further object is to provide a novel construction for finally extending the exercising bar into tight antislipping engagement with the opposite sides of the door frame after said latch means has become eifective.

A further object is to provide a latching means which is positively locked even when the exercising bar is merely touching the opposite sides of the door frame.

Yet another object is to provide a simple and practical construction which is positive in action and may be expeditiously manufactured and profitably marketed at a reasonable price.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the exercising means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but several of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing the exercising bar mounted in position for use.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly broken away, showing the latch means engaged in effective operating position.

FIGURE 3 is an end view as indicated by the arrow 3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section as taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view similar to the left end of FIGURE 2 but showing the latch means released ready for endwise adjustment of the bar length.

FIGURE 6 is a side view, partly broken away and in section, showing a modified and simplified construction rubber mounting head which may be employed.

FIGURE 7 is an outer end view of the rubber mounting head shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a top view of the rubber mounting head illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, but mounted on a swivel end member.

In the drawings, the exercising bar is generally designated B. It includes an outer metal tube 10 and an inner metal tube 11, the two tubes being slidably telescoped for relative longitudinal adjustment according to the width of the door frame F upon which the exercising bar is to be mounted.

A mounting head 12, FIGURES 1 and 2, is carried by the outer end of the outer tube 10; a knurled sleeve 13 is adjustably threaded at 14 upon the outer end of the inner tube 11; and a second mounting head 15 is swivelled at 1-6 to the outer end of said sleeve 13. Each of the mounting heads 12 and 15 preferably comprises a metal cup 17 and a ring 18 of firm but yieldable rubber fric. tionally held in said cup and projecting somewhat therefrom to abut the door frame F.

The cup bottom disc 19, FIGURES 2 and 3, of the mounting head 12 is welded or otherwise secured at 20 to the outer tube 10 and is formed with a diametrical slot 21. The corresponding disc 19a, FIGURE 2, of the mounting head 15 is connected by a central swivel bolt 22 to a disc 23 which is threaded into the outer end of the sleeve 13. The disc 23 is welded in place, or otherwise secured against turning in the sleeve 13.

The inner end of the inner tube 11, FIGURES 2 and 4, is closed by a metal disc 24 which is welded or otherwise secured thereto. This disc has a diametrioal slot 25 which is aligned with the slot 21 above described. The portion 24a of the disc 24, at one end of the slot 25 constitutes an abutment for coaction with a latch bar 26 to hold the two tubes 10 and 11 in relatively adjusted position, according to the width of the door frame F on which the exercising bar is to be mounted. 1

One end of the latch bar 26, FIGURES 2, 3 and 5, extends loosely through the slot 21 of the disc 19 of the mounting head 12, and said latch bar end is provided. with two pins 27 and 28 which project laterally from said bar end and are disposed respectively at the outer and inner sides of said disc 19. The latch bar 26 also extends loosely through the slot 25 of the disc 24 and'has longitudinally spaced notches 29, any of which may receive the abutment portion 24a of the disc 24, according. to the length to which the exercising bar may be extended or retracted. The side walls 30 of the notches '29 and the coacting side 31 of the abutment 24a are inclined in a direction to prevent accidental release of the latch bar 26 while the device is being mounted and while it is in use.

The inner end of the latch bar 26, FIGURE 2, is provided with a suitable stop 32 which prevents separation of the tubes 10 and 11 by striking the disc 24 when the bar B has been extended to a predetermined length.

The width of the latch bar 26 is sufficiently less than the internal diarneter of the inner tube 11 to allow said latch bar 26 to drop to a released position, when the ex? ercising bar B is rotated to the position shown in FIG- URE 5. Therefore, the bar B may be easily extended or retracted in any required amount within its operative telescoping length, to allow placing of the mounting heads.

12 and 15 in readness to abut the frame F. As soon as this length adjustment has been eifected, the bar B is rotated to the position shown in FIGURE 2. This allows the latch bar 26 to drop for engagement with the abutment 24a to hold the tubes 10 and 11 in relatively adjusted position. When such dropping of the latch bar 26 occurs, unless one of its notches 29 immediately receives the abutment 24a, it will of course be necessary to relatively slide the tubes 10 and 11 until said abutment seats in one of the notches. Then, by rotating and thus (.9 extending the sleeve 13, the bar B may be extended to bring the two mounting heads 12 and 15 into tight antislipping contact with the side members of the frame F. To remove the bar B from the frame, it is simply necessary to turn the sleeve 13 sufficiently to cause the mounting heads 12 and 15 to disengage from the frame.

In order that the user may determine when the bar B has been turned to either of the positions shown in FIG- URES 2 and 5, for above explained reasons, a suitable conspicuous indicator is provided on the bar B. Such an indicator is shown at 33 secured to the cup bottom disc 19 of the mounting head 12.

If desired, instead of providing outwardly opening, rubber-ring carrying mounting heads constructed as above described, simplified construction, firm, all-rubber, or suitable plastic, mounting heads such as the head 34 of FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, may be employed. The inner end of the head 34 has a suitable bar-end receiving socket 35 and the outer end 36 is concavely curved to engage the door frame side members F. Upon tightening of the bar in place, the mounting head 34 yields until the curved end 36 straightens and contacts, with application of suitable pressure, throughout its area, with the frame F. Ideally the mounting head 34 will be made of a size, shape, and firmness such that when fully flattened by tightening the bar against frame F, such bar will have a 300 pound supporting capacity which is adequate for normal use of the assembly. The outer tube a, in this case, would be provided, as previously described, with a disc 1% having a slot 21a through which latch bar 26 could pass and be held upright with pins 27 and 28 engaging opposite faces of said slotted disc which, in this case, is recessed into outer tube 10a to provide clearance with closure disc 37 at the end of outer tube 10a. The outer end of sleeve 13 would have a swiveled disc 38 for head 34 to permit free rotation as previously described. Thus a head 34 would, in effect, be substituted for rubber ring 18 in conventional manner and the showing is intended to diagrammatically illustrate same. In any event a preferred method of disassembling and reassembling the exercising bar is to remove or replace pin 27. The removal of pin 27 allows the inner tube 11 and bar 26 to be pulled out of outer tube 10 or 10a, and reversing these steps results in assembly of the exercising bar involved.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple, novel, and advantageous construction has been disclosed for attaining the desired ends. Attention is invited, however, to the possibility of making variations within the spirit and scope of the invention as illustrated and described.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the exercising equipment herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means he employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An extensible and retractible exercising bar comprising an outer tube and an inner tube slidably telescoped with each other for relative longitudinal adjustment, means within said tubes for non-rotatably connecting and holding same in lengthwise relatively adjusted positions, a mounting head carried by the outer end of one of said tubes to abut a fixed vertical support, a manually rotatable sleeve threaded adjustably onto the outer end of the other of said tubes, and a second mounting head swivelled to the outer end of said sleeve to abut a second vertical support and be tightened against same when said rotatable sleeve is moved to lengthen said bar.

'2. In an extensible and retractible exercising bar including an outer tube and an inner tube slidably telescoped but non-rotatable relative to each other and having relatively adjustable abutments to abut fixed vertical members between which the exercising bar may be positioned;

a substantially flat sided latch bar disposed longitudinally and loosely within said telescoped tubes, means connecting one end of said latch bar with said outer tube and allowing said latch bar to solely shift diametrically of said tubes by gravity when the exercising bar is in general horizontal position and rotated to either of two gravity operated positions apart, one of which is a latching position, and coacting means on said inner tube and latch bar for connecting said latch bar with said inner tube solely for diametrical shifting in the latter after relative longitudinal adjustment of said inner and outer tubes, said coacting means being engageable upon dropping of said latch bar by gravity when the exercising bar is rotated to the latching one of the aforesaid two positions, said coacting means after engagement being disengageable by dropping of said latch bar by gravity when the exercising bar is rotated to the other of said two positions, and a third tubular member adjustably engaging the outer end of one of said tubes, said third tubular member carrying one of said abutments on the outer end of same in position to be tightened against one of said fixed vertical members to support said exercising bar.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 2, in which said coacting means comprise an abutment secured to said inner tube, and longitudinally spaced notches in said latch bar to selectively receive said abutment.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 2; said connecting means for connecting one end of said latch bar to said outer tube comprising a disc secured to the outer end of said outer tube and having a diametrical slot through which said end of said latch bar extends, and lateral projections on said latch bar end at opposite sides of said disc; said coacting means comprising a second disc secured to the inner end of said inner tube and having a diametrical slot in same, which falls short of reaching one side of said tube, through which said latch bar extends, and longitudinally spaced notches in one edge of said latch bar to selectively receive the non-cut out portion of said second disc at one end of the last mentioned slot.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 2; said connecting means for connecting one end of said latch bar to said outer tube comprising a disc secured to the outer end of said outer tube and having a diametrical slot through which said end of said latch bar extends, and lateral projections on said latch bar end at opposite sides of said disc; said coacting means comprising a second disc secured to the inner end of said inner tube and having a diametrical slot in same, which falls short of reaching one side of said tube, through which said latch bar extends, and longitudinally spaced notches in one edge of said latch bar to selectively receive the non-cut out portion of said second disc at one end of the last mentioned slot, said portion of said second disc and the side wall of each of said notches to abut said disc portion being inclined in a direction to prevent accidental disengagement.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 2; wherein said adjustable abutments have a firm but pliable outer face for contacting and being gripped against said fixed vertical members.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 2; wherein said adjustable abutments each have a firm but pliable outer face which has an outwardly concavely curved surface which flattens under pressure, for contacting and being gripped against said fixed vertical members; and wherein the outer end portion of one of said tubes is threadedly engaged with said third tubular member and rotatable to vary the length of the assembly, with said rotatable portion carrying a swivelled end on which one of said pliable outer face members is mounted.

8. An extensible and retractible exercising bar as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting head on each end of said exercising bar utilizes a means having a firm but pliable body portion which has an outwardly extending, concavely curved, surface which resiliently flattens when firmly tightened against said fixed vertical supports, whereby the extent of flattening is a guide to the firmness with which the exercising bar is gripped to said vertical supports.

9. In an extensible and retractible exercising bar for mounting between fixed, substantially parallel, substantially planar supports presenting a relatively uninterrupted surface, said bar having at least two telescoping members connected for axial movement relative to each other and having means for forcing said members into extended position; the combination therewith of a mounting head on each end of said bar, each of said heads having an outer end portion movable into forced engagement with one of said supports when said bar is mounted in fixed position ready for use, each of said outer end portions being formed of a resilient, compressible material and having an axially and outwardly directed concave surface of substantial curvature, at least one edge of said curved surface being cut away to expose the curvature of said surface to view in a direction transversely of said rod, whereby when said end portions are forced against said supports, the extent of the compression and flattening of said end members will b clearly visible to indicate the firmness with which the exercising bar is gripped in place between said support-s.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,637,555 Klaudt May 5, 1953 2,919,134 Zuro Dec. 29, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 398,491 France Ian. 14, 1909 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,047,293

July 31 1962 Bernarr C. Schaeffer Column 3, lin

es 43 and 44, for reassembly assembly" read Signed and sealed this 20th day of November 1962 (SEAL) Attest:

Commissioner of Patents 

